A/N: ModernRogue11 and here are some of the comments I'm going to answer.

Misaka Phanex: They nerfed themselves. Remember that restriction seal placed on captains and lieutenants in Bleach? It's the same here. The last thing they want is to overwhelm everyone with their spiritual pressure unrestricted.

ExcaliburShooter: Oh, she won't, especially Ichigo. And you know how I characterized Ichigo in this story.

Ultimate Warrior of Zera: Sting can consume Kazui's light. However, it would be difficult since Sting's light revolve's around light being a form of energy with a physical, tangible, manifestation. Kazui's, on the other hand, has a more fundamental application that focuses on the properties. Diffraction, Reflection, and Refraction.

Chapter 21: On the Precipice of Ruin

Letting out another feral roar, the diamond dragon lifted its claw and smashed it to the ground. Any unfortunate soldiers who couldn't escape were reduced to a red paste on the floor.

"Stand your ground, men!"

"Don't let that monster get anywhere near the princess!"

Despite the overwhelming odds, the soldiers of Fiore's army stood defiant against the towering creature. However, bravery would only get you so far.

The beast looked at the knights, its mouth twitching to resemble a grin. It raised its claws once more and slammed them into the gathered knights. A loud crunch of bones shattering and blood spilling seemed to give the dragon well as its rider pleasure.

While this was going on, more dragons appeared from the Eclipse Gate. The sight made Princess Hisui shudder, knowing that all this was her doing. When the diamond dragon finally laid eyes on her, she didn't move. The royal knew what would happen, but she did nothing to prevent it. She merely stared at the beast whose jaws opened wide to welcome her.

"I deserve this," Hisui thought. "I brought the world's end, and this is my punishment."

Before she was about to be eaten, a quick blast of red energy stopped the gigantic lizard's advances. The dragon felt pain as it stumbled a bit and composed itself. Looking at the attacker, the eyes of the creature seemingly widened when it saw who the culprit was. With a crazed roar, it shouted at its assailant.

"SOUL REAPER!"

After firing a Bala, Kazui was surprised when the dragon recognized what he was. This meant that the creature recognized him as the biggest threat in the area. "Oh, crap!" Letting out that curse, the boy quickly disappeared via Sonido and grabbed Hisui before flickering out of existence.

Next to his guildmates, Kazui set the princess beside Lucy and Yukino while Wendy ran up to him.

"Kazui!" the Sky Dragon Slayer cried before giving the boy a hug which caused him to blush. "Don't you ever do something reckless like that again!"

Kazui smiled, but it quickly vanished because of what he was about to say. "I'm sorry, Wendy."

"Huh!?" Confused, the young dragon slayer then asked, "Why!?"

"I'm the only one here who can go toe to toe with that thing," the reapers answered. "Besides…" Kazui showed the seal on his chest, "I need to keep that ugly thing busy while Mom and Dad release all restrictions."

"Then let me come with you!"

That threw Kazui in for a loop. "Wha–?"

"Did you forget that I'm a dragon slayer?" Wendy asked.

There was this fire in the young maiden's eyes. Wendy wasn't about to let her best friend do this independently.

"We promised that we'd protect each other," Wendy said with much conviction. "It's not fair if you get to protect me, and I don't get to do the same to you. Not only that, but you also forgot I'm a dragon slayer! My magic was tailored to fight dragons!"

Kazui stared at the girl in front of him with wide eyes. A small smile crept onto his face that led to a chuckle.

Thinking that she was being made fun of, Wendy gave a pout to show her displeasure. It was cuter than intimidating, to be honest.

Calming down, Kazui eventually conceded. "Alright, you win. You get to fight with me." Seeing Wendy's eyes lit up, the young reaper held a finger and said, "But you'll only support. I'll be doing the direct fighting."

"I don't mind," the bluenette quickly said. The young Sky Maiden then looked to her companion Exceed and asked, "Carla, would you be willing to help me?"

The white cat sighed. "Of course, I am," Carla replied. "It's not like I can change your mind with you being stubborn."

Not minding the slight jab, Wendy smiled at her partner. "Thank you, Carla," she chirped.

"Now that we're all set," Kazui looked to the others and said, "Find a way to close the Gate. We should at least try to limit the number of dragons coming out of that blasted thing."

"Kazui," Mira called as she approached the hollowfied reaper. "Let me join in."

"I could use all the help I can get until mom and dad manages to open our seals," Kazui answered. He then addressed the three individuals who'll help him. "Mira and I will engage the dragons while Wendy will provide support." His attention then landed on the Celestial mages and the other Exceeds. "Lucy and big sis will find a way to close the Eclipse gate."

"Happy, Lily."

The two Exceeds turned towards Mirajane.

"Go back to the guild and report what happened here," she said. "I doubt the guards will stop with that dragon over there."

The blue cat answered with a salute.

Panther Lily gave the nod. "You can count on us." He and Happy flew off to warn the rest of the guild of what had transpired.

"Now, with that done," Kazui then faced the growling beast, "I think it's time we send these overgrown lizards back to where they belong." Before he could go off and fight the behemoths, he felt his hand restrained by someone else's. Looking back, the young death god saw Yukino with a concerned expression.

Still remembering when her younger brother was drained of his power, the silver-haired mage couldn't help but worry about him. "Be careful, Kazui," said Yukino. "I don't want to see you like when you were drained."

Said little brother smiled. It was the same bright smile his mother used to reassure him. "I'll be fine, big sis," he promised. "Besides, I'm not fighting at full strength."

"I'll hold you onto that, you get me?"

"I got you." The trio plus one flying cat went towards the diamond dragon with that.

Meanwhile, Lucy was doing everything she could to snap the princess off her daze. "Princess!" the blonde yelled. "Princess, snap out of it!"

Hisui still didn't respond. The guilt of her actions still affects her significantly.

Seeing not much choice, Lucy did the only thing that would be the most effective in this situation. She reared her arm behind her with an open palm to gain maximum power. In one mighty swing, the blonde slapped Hisui so hard that the sound of the slap was loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Huh! What!?"

That slap did the job. Now out of a depressed stump, Lucy can finally question the princess about the way to close the Eclipse. "Princess Hisui, is there any way to close the gate?"

Instead of answering, Hisui dejectedly said, "You should've just let it kill me."

"What!?" Lucy and Yukino exclaimed in aghast.

"All of this," Hisui gestured to their witnessing destruction, "I'm responsible for this. This is my sin. You should've just let that beast devour me when it was about to."

The two stellar mages could see it in her eyes. The princess had lost hope. They knew that the princess had good intentions. The only thing that went wrong was that she trusted a man whose goal was the world's destruction. It was her naive that led to this. Judging by the look in her eyes, she blamed herself for everything.

Lucy and Yukino wanted to blame her for what was happening. Hisui was indeed responsible for the most part, but the blame solely lies on the future version of Rogue. The princess was an unwitting pawn, and the only thing she did wrong was trust someone questionable.

"Princess Hisui," Lucy called out.

Hisui looked up to see the blonde mage.

"Do you love your people?" the stellar mage questioned.

"What?" Hisui uttered.

"Do you love your people?" Lucy repeated.

"I do."

It was a weak reply, but it was enough to spark that fading hope in the royalty. "Why did you cover up all those things you did behind the Grand Magic Games? Why did you siphon the magic of the wizards who participated?"

"Because I wanted to save my people from a terrible fate."

"Do you regret it?"

"Yes," was her swift reply. Hisui was sincere that she regretted doing something underhanded to the participating wizards. "However," her face then depicted a firm look, "If it's for the kingdom's citizens, I will do anything."

Finally, progress. "Then, would you be willing to help us to close the gate?"

The answer was immediate. Before the princess gave her reply, Hisui realized that blaming herself wouldn't benefit the welfare of her citizens. She accepts her faults that led to this disaster and will face the consequences later. But, for now, there was only one crucial thing: closing the Eclipse Gate.

"Yes," was Hisui's quick reply. She stood up and reached for something inside her coat. She took out the twelve golden gate keys and the silver keys of the two mages.

"Our keys!" Both Yukino and Lucy exclaimed in unison.

Handing the trinkets back to their respective owners, the princess quickly gave the two Celestial mages and delivered the rundown on deactivating the massive device. "Like how it is opened, the Eclipse Gate can be closed using the Zodiac Gate Keys."

"How do we go about that?" Yukino questioned.

"Simply combine your powers. In doing so, you two will be able to summon the twelve Zodiac Spirits, and with their help, we can close that accursed door." Hisui then called upon her guards. "Knights, with me! Arcadios!" she called her second-in-command, "Notify your knights that I am revoking my order of arresting Fairy Tail. Their new objective is to assist the mages in their battle against the dragons!"

"You heard her!" Arcadios barked at his men. "Notify all squadrons of the new objective immediately. The rest of you stay here and guard the princess and the Celestial wizards."

"YES, SIR!"

The knights scrambled. Some quickly left the palace to spread the princess' new orders while the rest formed a defensive position to protect Hisui, Lucy, and Yukino.

Hisui returned her gaze towards Yukino and Lucy, who had just taken out their golden keys. The twelve objects began flickering with power, becoming brighter as the seconds passed. Suddenly, the trinkets rose into the sky, forming a circle that radiated vast amounts of energy that illuminated the night.

Clasping their hands together, Yukino and Lucy knelt and let the energies flow into them. They could feel it. The power of the spirits was coursing through them.

"All Celestial Spirits of the Zodiac," Yukino began chanting.

"Lend us the strength to seal away the wicked," Lucy continued.

"Open…"

"…Gates of the Twelve Signs…"

And together, they cried, "…OF THE ZODIAC!"

The circle of magic power from the keys bathed the two praying wizards in its holy glow. The ringing of a bell was heard, and one by one, the twelve zodiac spirits emerged.

Leo, Ares, Virgo, Libra, Gemini, Aquarius, Taurus, Capricorn, Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces, and Sagittarius.

All twelve spirits encircled their masters as they heeded their call. Curiously, they felt a familiar power in the area. Except for Leo, the spirits were surprised to find out its source.

"Big Brother," Virgo called Leo, who he addressed as such. Despite being stoic, she can't help but be astonished by what she sees. "Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"No, Virgo," Loki, otherwise known as Leo, answered. "That's the genuine article right there."

"It's been more than a millennium since they were here," Capricorn breathed.

"A Soul Reaper," Aquarius muttered. "A god of death."

The twelve spirits were all looking at Kazui in astonishment. Only a few individuals from the Celestial World knew of Soul Reapers. The beings in question were considered capable of feats that defy all comprehension. Believed to be extinct, it was a surprise to see one so young in the flesh.

"Anyway." All attention fell to the leader of the Zodiacs. "I think it's time to help our masters with their request. Can't keep the ladies waiting now, can we?"

With either a nod, a grin, or a gesture of agreement, the Zodiacs flared their magical energy as they flew towards the massive Gate. Having six spirits on each side, they pushed to seal away the object for good with all their might.

Suddenly, two draconic hands grabbed both sides of the Eclipse's door. Its monstrous limbs pushed against the efforts of the spirits. A dragon's head appeared from the portal and defiantly roared as it resisted the might of the Zodiacs.

"Like Hell! I'm not going to let another one go through!" Kazui declared as he raised Mangetsu overhead. A column of orange spiritual energy roared to life as it condensed into the soul cutter sword. With one mighty swing, all that concentrated power was unleashed. "GETSUGA TENSHŌ!"

The gigantic reptile was hit dead center. It roared in pain while stumbling back into Gate. The spirits took this opportunity and finally sealed the doors shut, putting an end to the arrival of the dreaded reptilian hoard. The Zodiacs' energy slowly faded, signifying their return to their home realm.

"We did it!"

Both stellar mages cried with relief. They stared at each other before fatigue set in.

"Lucy! Yukino!" Hisui hastily supported the two to prevent them from falling. "Are you alright?"

"Tired," the silver-haired mage answered.

"…Otherwise, we're good," the blonde wizard continued.

This answer made the princess sigh in relief. However, they weren't in the clear just yet, far from it.

"This is not yet the time to celebrate!" Arcadios yelled. "How many dragons managed to get through?" he asked one of his knights.

"Yes. Seven, sir," answered the soldier.

Arcadios grit his teeth. "Damn it."

"You had to go and ruin my plans, didn't you?" Future Rogue condescendingly asked while perched on the diamond dragon. Despite having only seven dragons at his disposal, the shadow wizard was more than satisfied. "It doesn't matter, though. Seven dragons would be easier to control and more than enough to enact my plans."

"How about you explain yourself?" Mirajane hissed at the dark mage.

"That's him." Hisui was furious at the future Rogue. "He's the one who lied to us."

"How dare he!?" Arcadios growled.

"How could you!?" Lucy seethingly questioned. "You tried to murder a child who only wants to see her parents."

"She was an obstacle that needed to be eliminated." The smug answer made the Fairy Tail mages angrier, especially Mirajane.

"I'm going to rip you apart for trying to kill Madeline!" the demoness yelled vehemently.

Unintimidated, Rogue, continued his taunting. "To be honest, I don't know where that brat came from. I don't know what timeline she's from or if she's from an alternate reality. That doesn't matter to me because I have what I want." He raised his arms to the sky, beckoning his subjected dragons to his wishes. "My ignorant subjects, listen and take heed! I at this moment proclaim this the end of human reign!"

The six dragons all landed beside him, bearing their fangs on the lowly humans.

"I will usher in a new age! AN ERA OF DRAGONS!"

All summoned dragons roared together. The sound of their monstrous cry reverberated throughout the palace and the city. It made the soldiers cower in fear, and the mages lost all sense of hope. Was this the end? To most people, it was. How could you fight a force of nature?

…By fighting with something beyond nature.

"NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT!"

It was Kazui who broke the trance of fear from everyone. He held no fear as he glared at the time-displaced dragons and their human master in defiance.

"Oh?" Rogue chuckled at the boy's attempt. "Even with your power, it is still not enough to fight seven dragons."

Kazui was seething. Traces of his spiritual energy began leaking from his body. Gold and red wisps seeped through and filled the air with a heavy, oppressive weight that bearly anyone could handle.

"You think I'm afraid of a bunch of over-bloated geckos?" Kazui questioned. His power flows more uncontrollably. "There are things far more terrifying than dragons."

Deciding to play along, Rogue asked, "…And what would that be?"

A sinister smirk made its way on Kazui, making Mira, Lucy, Wendy, and Yukino shiver. The boy then gave his answer.

"A hollow."

Hisui's eyes widened at the answer. However, her musings were disturbed when a torrent of spiritual energy burst from the boy.

Gold and red colors raged as they circled the boy. The air suddenly grew more unbearable. The effects are now visible, with the atmosphere physically rippling and tearing itself apart. Gradually, black currents of reiatsu joined in on the torrential ballet of powers. The appearance of this dark energy altered the boy's physique.

The force of the three battling powers caused Kazui's upper garment to disintegrate, leaving his body exposed. His helm finally covered his entire head, leaving only his demonic yellow eyes exposed. Red tufts of hair grew along his neckline and ankles. Black lines appeared on his helmet, two racing down his eyes and jaw while another two ended at a point on his forehead. His skin began to turn white, giving him an almost ghostly complexion. The most disturbing characteristic was the giant gaping hole on his chest. The sight made almost everyone throw up.

Rogue was left speechless. Never in his life has he witnessed so much power from one person. Even the likes of the Wizard Saints could barely show this kind of display. However, it wasn't the power he was weary of. It was the feeling he got from it. The sensation wasn't anything like a demon could conjure. This feeling was a rare mixture of malice, death, violence, despair, and bloodlust.

An evil creature.

Rogue can't help but think he just awakened something incomprehensible. What he saw shook him to the core as the energies died down. The young boy had become some form of horned monster with a massive hole in his young body. He looked at his dragons and noticed that they were wary of the boy. If this is how his dragons behaved, this kid was a force unlike any other.

Lucy's skin almost turned white once she saw Kazui's transformation. Images of that demonic beast that shadowed Ichigo when they confronted the Twins Dragons suddenly rushed into her mind. The similarities were uncanny; she wanted to get away from the kid. All the blonde could associate with the creature was death and destruction. "A…A…h-hollow!"

Yukino, on the other hand, was utterly lost. What had happened to her sweet little brother? The warm, carefree vibe Kazui used to give off was replaced by malice and bloodlust. If this creature was her brother, she prayed for him to return to normal.

Wendy unconsciously stepped back and stumbled. This power was filled with such evil that even the air tasted like such. Was this the power she had borrowed in her fight against Chelia?

Mirajane could feel the hatred from Kazui. As a Take-Over wizard who specializes in demons, she is well attuned to the different sensations associated with such beings. However, the essence of a hollow was something else entirely. If a demon's nature feels destruction, dread, and chaos, a hollow's existence embodies torment, despair, and instinct. This is what Mirajane was feeling from Kazui, and it made her tremble in unease.

Finally, Hisui recalled the warning Darton had told her. Witnessing this black-robed boy become this creature of pure instinct made her question whether Kazui was human.

"The dragon called him a Soul Reaper," the princess remembered. "A reaper of souls. The only beings with that title are…." That's when it dawned on her. Looking intently at the hollowfied child made her lose all color. "A death god!"

(Shiro Sagisu – Incatation Part A_Opus_3: Choirs and Guitars)

Kazui disappeared, leaving the distinct static buzz of Sonido. He was seen in the air, roaring in a fury with his sword poised to strike. He then made his descent, plummeting at speeds the eye could barely see until a shockwave boomed through the night. The reaper had dove horn-first into the nearest dragon, specifically the stone dragon, making the creature wail in agony before falling on its side.

"RRAAAGGGHHHH!"

The hollow roar struck some kind of primal fear within the mages. Though looking feral and unhinged, the bestial cry felt more tortured, tormented, and broken. Even the dragons knew not to carelessly trifle with the child.

The young Soul Reaper pointed his horns onto the dragon and powered up a crimson Cero. The blast discharged, and once again, the dragon roared in pain. The stony scales of the mighty beast that received the doom flash were gone, and burnt flesh was left. In retaliation, the reptile swung its arm and hit Kazui, sending the boy careening on the pavement. That didn't stop the boy, though. Quickly getting back up, he leaped into the air again and pointed his blade forward. Red energy gathered on its tip and multiple shots of Bala. The dragon used its wings for cover, but it didn't prevent the stinging sensations with each impact.

Furious, the beast opened its mouth wide and charged its magical energy. It was about to do a dragon breath. A beam of magic power shot through which hit Kazui, his image disappearing in the brightness of the draconic spell.

"KAZUI!" Wendy and Yukino screamed. They just witnessed Kazui get consumed by a dragon's breath attack. However, their worries were for naught.

Once the beam died down, they could see the hollowfied boy without a leg and an arm. The Fairy Tail mages blanched at the mutilated sight of the young reaper. Rogue laughed in delight, seeing as this thorn was put in place.

"Hah! Don't you see the futility of your…"

The time traveler didn't get to finish when streams of spiritual energy converged into his severed limbs. A new arm and leg sprouted from the stumps instantly, making the mages gasp. Kazui stayed silent while looking at the dragons who were wary of him.

Suddenly, the otherworldy pressure that was a staple to the Kurosaki family enveloped the entire courtyard. The suffocating sensation immediately had its effect on those present as various knights passed out from the sheer force while those with stronger wills persevered. Mira, Wendy, Lucy, Yukino, Carla, and even Rogue could see that the oppressive power the boy was exuding affected the atmosphere. Ripples and tears in the air were visible. There were distortions in their vision as if the colors of their surroundings became duller and darker. And finally, the overwhelming presence one twelve-year-old boy could impose.

Not letting this upstart threaten him any longer, the stone dragon roared in defiance before charging another breath attack. Kazui aimed his horns toward the lizard and gathered spiritual energy, only this time, it was gold with white in color. The beast fired first. However, the reaper answered back with a Cero more powerful than his first creation; one that he would eventually call...

Cero Iluminado

The two attacks collided, but the young man's energy blast exceeded the titanic lizard's. The dragon's breath was overwhelmed easily as the new Cero variation struck true, pushing the dragon several blocks away from the palace from the sheer force while writhing in the burning sensation it was experiencing. After that, Kazui didn't waste any time and immediately engaged the dragon again with more ferocity.

Left flabbergasted, Rogue quickly ordered his other dragons. "Leave him!" he commanded. "Go and wreak havoc in the city. Annihilate the insignificant mages that stand in your way!"

As commanded, the six other dragons, one of which had their villainous master, rose into the air and began their reign of terror on the unfortunate city of Crocus.

With the danger now moving to the city, Arcadios hastily ordered all capable knights to prepare for battle. The mages from Fairy Tail knew that staying would be useless right now since their plan that involved Kazui went down the drain the moment he went full hollow.

"We need to get back to the guild," Mirajane advised. "With the dragons now on the loose, it's best to regroup with everyone and fight as one."

"But what about Kazui?" Wendy questioned worriedly. "We can't just leave him to deal with that thing!"

"I'm afraid we'd just get in his way."

"But…"

"She's right, Wendy," Yukino stated. She didn't like leaving Kazui like this, but she understood that she'll be more of a hindrance to him. "I know you care about him as much as I do, but it is best to let him be. Out of all of us here, Kazui's the most powerful and has the means to fight the dragon."

"Besides," Lucy chimed in, "I doubt anyone can stop him now besides Ichigo."

They could all see a blush form on the girl's cheeks from Yukino's words for a moment there. After some contemplation on her part, Wendy decided that they were right. Had Kazui not hollowfied, maybe she could've provided assistance. Now, however, her magic would be put to better use with her guildmates.

"Right," the Sky Maiden nodded. "Let's go."

A stray blast tore through the city streets. It continued for another minute before it died down and was followed by a blood-curdling roar. Up in the sky were the dragons raining down fire and destruction. One dragon with purple scales and pincer-like fins, one on the forehead and the other on its chin, landed and began slaughtering countless knights foolish enough to fight it. The creature let out a loud cry of glee as it sunk its claws into a helpless soldier. The rest of the army could only tremble at the beast's might.

The other reptiles decided to join in on the chaos. All throughout the city, mages and knights battled for survival against the behemoths.

"Fire!" said a Twilight Ogre mage. "Keep firing!"

He and his fellow wizards poured their energy into a blue aquatic dragon. They pelted it with magic shots that each round picked up dust, obscuring the colossal creature.

"I think we got it!"

However, the dust cleared to reveal a pissed-off dragon that was unscathed.

"Our magic didn't work?" a female Twilight Ogre wizard exclaimed. You can definitely hear the fear beginning to creep into her heart.

A minor mage guild had its members concentrating all their energy on a single, decisive attack in another part of the ravaged city. With hands held high, an orb of considerable magic formed and primed for launch.

"You are going down, you overgrown lizard!" a random mage declared.

"Take this!" cried another when they fired at a black and red dragon.

The magic shot true, but it wasn't enough to make the beast flinch. The creature just swatted the thing away like it was some nuisance. Irritated, the dragon raised its foot and stomped the ground, leveling the streets and injuring the mages that fought it.

"Damn it!" Kagura growled as she dodged a flailing tail.

One of the dragons that finished a group of knights turned its attention towards the mages of Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Blue Pegasus. They've been fighting the creature not long, but none of them seemed to make a dent on its thick hide. Their collective efforts can't amount to anything.

"It's a rather sturdy creature," commented Jura after attacking the dragon with rock spires.

"Even my defense-weakening parfum doesn't affect it," Ichiya growled after giving the Wizard Saint an assist.

The beast roared in annoyance at the mages. It swung one of its wings and shattered a nearby building, sending the debris toward its targets. Most mages got to evade the hail of stone and wood, but some weren't so lucky. Those who got hit were knocked unconscious.

"I wish I still had Archenemy," the ace of Mermaid Heel said in frustration. With her weapon broken, there was little Kagura could do in this dire situation. "I feel so useless."

Milliana looked at her teammate with sympathy. "You're not, Kagura. Please, don't think like that."

The sword maiden was about to respond when the dragon fired a breath attack. The two wizards were lucky to have escaped the blast.

"Can we even penetrate its skin!?" Hibiki questioned.

"I don't know," answered Lyon. "Its scales are so tough it doesn't even look like it took damage."

"I don't think any human would have the power to defeat a dragon," Jura remarked. The rock mage realizes that they might need a miracle to survive this ordeal.

"Do you think we made the right choice?"

Lahar and Doranbolt stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing at the destruction brought by the dragons. Both officers were contemplating the choice given to them by one Jellal Fernandez. The fugitive had appeared while they were mobilizing the stationed Rune Knights in the city to assist in the evacuation. Initially wanting to arrest the former councilman, they decided to agree with Jellal's offer, considering the dire situation present.

"We don't have much of a choice," Doranbolt answered Lahar's question with a sigh. "One, zero, zero, nine, seven, seven. Those numbers will either help us get out of this mess or bring us further into chaos."

"Are you sure we should trust the words of a criminal such as Jellal? I have my doubts."

"Me too. But, the man had made such a convincing argument."

"Given his tarnished record, I'd advise proceeding with caution. Is this just one of his schemes?"

"As I said, there's simply no other choice. Trusting Jellal is the only option we have now."

Fairy Tail just found itself as the next target for a dragon. This beast was encased in bright fires of orange, yellow, and red colors. Being near the creature felt like standing close to the sun with the heat it was giving off.

"Are all the civilians evacuated!?" Erza asked her guildmates.

Macao looked to the redhead and answered, "They are. The kingdom's military and some Rune Knights station assisted in the evacuation."

"We're lucky the soldiers stopped trying to arrest us," Romeo remarked while getting ready for battle.

A grin made its way to Bixlow's helmed face. "We can finally let loose on these overgrown lizards."

"It's about time for some manly pest control!" Elfman added.

Behind the wizards, Mavis and Makarov were watching over little Asuka, who stared at the flaming dragon in fascination.

"Seven dragons," Makarov stated. He then looked to the spirit of his godmother and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

"I'm not sure," Mavis admitted. "However, we must do whatever we can to neutralize them."

"Agreed."

Both masters turned to see Yuzu approach them.

"My brother predicted things might get complicated, so he prepared countermeasures."

"Yuzu," Makarov called. "How is your arm?"

"I'm fine, master." The Quincy then showed her newly regenerated limb. "Being a hybrid has its advantages."

"Still, seeing your arm cut off scared us," Mavis interjected. "It's a good thing you have that power."

"By the way," the diminutive mage chimed, asked, "Where are Ichigo and Orihime?"

"Just after the soldiers came and tried to arrest us, he and his wife slipped through the whole skirmish to make the necessary preparations."

"And what preparations might those be?" the ghostly teen asked.

To answer, Yuzu pulled the collar of her tunic just enough to expose a Quincy cross tattoo on her upper breast. "This is a restriction seal. We placed one on ourselves to make sure our energies don't affect anyone unless we want to."

"So, it's meant to seal away your power," Mavis remarked. She then asked, "How much does it seal away?"

"About eighty percent."

Mavis and Makarov's eyes nearly fell from bulging out.

"Wha– Why go that far!?" Makarov questioned in astonishment.

"It was one of the conditions set by my brother when we got here. We sealed the vast majority of our power so that no one would be overwhelmed while they're near our presence."

"I see your point, but still," Mavis said in contemplation. "To put such a massive handicap upon yourselves…."

"That said, what's taking them so long?" Makarov asked.

"The strength of the seals varies from the amount of reiryoku or spiritual energy to the degree of control the person has," Yuzu answered.

"In other words, the length of unlocking the seals depends on how strong and how much control you have," Mavis surmised. "Since it has taken this long, it only means that the five of you were hiding so much more than you let on."

"That and more." With that said, Yuzu flickered out of sight to participate once more in the battle.

Once high above her guildmates, the Quincy saw Gray and Juvia perform a Unison Raid. Their combined energies surged as a spiraling torrent of water then quickly froze, leaving sharp icicles on its side that would pierce anything foolish enough to touch it. The attack hit the dragon as the liquids and ice turned to steam, obscuring the beast from everyone's view.

Thinking they had won, their hopes were dashed to the gutter when the dragon stood tall, unaffected by the water and ice attack.

"It didn't do anything?" Gray asked in shock.

"No way," Juvia exclaimed. "We combined our passion for each other and hit it with our full magic power!"

The flame dragon was more annoyed than angry. He didn't like that these pesky humans thought they could injure him. "Foolish humans," it spoke. "I am the mighty Atlas Flame, and my fire consumes all that stand before me." The creature took a massive breath and declared, "Now, prepare to have your lives burned away!"

Seeing the impending attack, Fried rushed forward and drew defensive runes. "I'll nullify that attack with my rune magic!"

"Don't be an idiot, Fried!" Karin yelled as she followed the rune mage.

When the dragon breathed a torrent of intense flames, it quickly broke through Fried's enchantments, sending him toward the other mages.

Knowing how much damage this attack might cause, Karin did the only thing that could counter fire breath.

"SUBMERGE, SUISHIGETSU!"

The katana was engulfed in a stream of water before transforming into a glaive. Stopping in front of the incoming blaze of fire, Karin plunged her weapon's crescent end, and a massive wall of water blocked the raging inferno. The two elements battled out for supremacy, causing steam and vapor to cover the surroundings. Ultimately, both the water wall and the fire breathed ceased. The mages of Fairy Tail breathed a sigh of relief while Atlas Flame stared at them in bewilderment.

"How did you stop my flames!?" roared the dragon until he caught sight of the woman in black wielding a glaive. "A Soul Reaper?"

Karin raised a curious eyebrow. "So, you know about us."

"And I know to take you seriously because of your power!"

Like a furious bull, Atlas Flame stomped the ground, shattering the streets, and charged at the most significant threat present. Karin avoided a claw swipe by performing Flash Step. She then pointed the glaive and fired a stream of water at the dragon.

"KEEP ATTACKING HIM WHILE I DISTRACT HIM!"

After hearing this, the Fairy Tail mages quickly fired multitudes of spells to weaken the flaming beast. The magic blasts were a nuisance to the dragon until Laxus decided to get physical.

"Lightning Dragon Iron Fist!"

The lightning-coated fist hit the lizard's lower jaw, stunning Atlas Flame and causing him some damage. The dragon shook its head and searched for the wizard who inflicted pain.

"First a Soul Reaper and now a dragon slayer!? What's next, a Quincy!?"

"Yuzu!" Karin yelled, getting the attention of her twin. "The fiery lizard wants an arrow or two!"

"On it!" Yuzu replied casually. The white-garbed archer vanished via Hirekyaku and appeared beside Karin. She summoned her spirit bow and fired a hailstorm of arrows, causing the dragon to roar in agony.

"What!? Why is there a Quincy here!?"

"I'm not obliged to answer that question, dragon!" Yuzu replied. She fired another salvo of arrows that caused some damage to the dragon. "Damn it. It's still not enough."

Angry beyond measure, Atlast Flame flailed his wing wildly, hitting Karin and sending her crashing through a couple of buildings.

"Ow," the reaper mumbled. Karin saw Erza running towards her while she was getting up.

"Are you alright?" asked the redhead.

"I am," Karin answered. "It was a good thing I activated my Hierro before that hit me."

"Hierro?"

"It means Iron Skin," she answered. "Creates a layer of spiritual energy that hardens my skin. A hollow ability like Yuzu's instant regeneration."

"Did she just say hollow ability?" Erza mentally asked.

Karin saw the reaction and promptly said, "From the look on your face, you didn't expect that." The reaper stood up and dusted herself. "I'll explain when this whole fustercluck gets resolved."

Right after the female reaper stood up, they heard familiar voices approaching them.

"Erza! Karin!"

Turning around, Panther Lily and Happy fly towards them.

"Thank god we made it!" the blue cat breathed.

"Why are you guys here?" asked Karin. "Where's my nephew and niece?"

"There were…complications," was all Lily could reply.

"We could see that," Erza remarked.

"Give us a sit-rep of everything that happened," the reaper requested.

"We couldn't stop the gate from opening, but with just seven dragons present, I speculate that Lucy and Yukino managed to close Eclipse before more dragons got through."

"That's good to know," Erza said in relief.

"I sense a but," Karin said, earning a nod from the brown feline.

"Kazui turned into this…creature." Panther Lily had a good idea of what the boy had become.

"Let me guess, the kid has a skull-like helmet with two bull horns; tufts of red fur on his wrists, ankles, and neckline; ghostly-white skin; and a gaping hole on his chest. Is that it?"

The two Exceeds went wide-eyed. They looked at each other before turning their gaze back at the Soul Reaper and nodded.

"Darn," Karin cursed.

Seeing that this was bothering the middle Kurosaki, Erza inquired, "Is something the matter?"

"Kazui just used his hollow form."

"He did what!?"

"No need to worry," Karin reassured them. "Though driven by instinct, he still has enough sanity to distinguish friend from foe. I'm just surprised what could've forced him to go Vasto Lorde."

"He was furious when fighting the evil Rogue," Happy answered.

"That figures. Kazui only uses that transformation when put in a bind or pissed. I guess it was the latter this time." Karin then looked the two Exceeds in the eye and asked, "Now that we know what happened to Kazui, where is my niece?"

"As far as I can remember, she's safe along with Mira, Lucy, and Wendy."

"Good to know," Karin said with a chuckle. "The last thing we want is for Ichigo to search for Yukino personally."

Erza and the two flying felines shivered at the thought. The idea of the patriarch doing any means necessary to look for either one of his children was scary, given his overprotectiveness of them.

"You know what?" Karin interjected. "Let's just regroup with everyone else."

"I forgot just how difficult it was to break Ichigo's limiter," Yuzu muttered right before phasing out of existence, reappearing on Atlas Flame's hind legs, and firing a salvo of arrows.

Atlas Flame tried to swipe the spirit archer, but it was met with no success, just like his earlier attempts. "Damn you, Quincy!" he growled in irritation. "How is it that your race exists within this realm!?"

"As I said," Yuzu deactivated her bow and took out one of her Seele Schneider, "I'm not obliged to answer that." The distinct hum of the weapon's activation was the signal for the last Quincy to attack. With a ferocious swing, Yuzu wounded the flaming beast despite the cloak of fire covering its body.

"AAAHHHH!" Atlas Flame cried in pain. "You insolent brat!" In retaliation, the dragon took in a huge breath. The mages immediately sensed the spike in magic power.

"Oh, crap! It's a dragon breath!"

A figure suddenly whizzed through the wizards. To their surprise, it was Natsu running towards the flame dragon.

"Natsu, don't be reckless!" Lisanna cried out.

"Papa!" Maddie yelled.

"I'll be fine, you two!" Natsu shouted to reassure his two precious people. "I have a plan in mind, so don't worry!"

"How could I not worry when you're running towards that thing!?" Lisanna retorted.

"Trust me!"

Just as the son of Igneel said those words, Atlas Flame unleashed another surge of intense fire. Natsu stood tall and waited for the draconic flames to get close. He inhaled the raging conflagration once they were near enough, sucking it into his belly until none were left to harm his guildmates.

"Huh," Madeline muttered while looking wide-eyed at her father. "I forgot Papa can eat fire." She then looked to her mother, who had a palm on her face. "Mama?"

"I swear to God, he's going to give me a heart attack," groaned Lisanna.

On the other hand, Natsu was savoring the fire he had recently consumed. "That was the best fire I've ever eaten!" It really was. Although, in hindsight, those were the flames of a legit flame dragon. With newfound confidence and boosted power, the pinkette ran faster towards Atlas Flame, jumped high using his fire as a boost, and landed on top of the fiery lizard. He then began sucking the fires coating Atlas Flame, Shocking the dragon.

"What do you think you're doing, boy!" the dragon questioned angrily.

Natsu was so busy consuming the fire that his only reply was, "I'm going to eat you."

Everyone face-faulted. Did this moron just declare he'll eat the dragon?

Once again, Lisanna facepalmed from her childhood friend's brave but rather…ridiculous idea. "I love him, I really do," she muttered. "It's just…he can be a knucklehead sometimes." She glanced at the dragon slayer and corrected herself. "Scratch that. He's a knucklehead all the time."

Madeline just giggled at her mother's observation.

"EAT ME!?" Atlas Flame yelled in surprise and outrage. He was offended that some measly human would try to consume him. "HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK THAT YOU CAN DEVOUR THE FLAMES OF THE MIGHTY ATLAS FLAME!"

The burning dragon rammed his head into a nearby building to rid himself of the perceived pest. The act toppled the structure into rubble, but Natsu clung to his flames while sucking on them like a parasite. Again, Atlas Flame drove himself into multiple buildings, dragged his back on the pavement, and wrestled the annoying dragon slayer lose. However, the fire dragon couldn't get Natsu off of him no matter what he did.

"Watch it, you idiot!" Gray yelled after narrowly avoiding a wild tail swing from the burning lizard. "You're going to get us killed before the dragon does!"

"Great, he's too busy to listen to us," Juvia huffed.

"Somebody should try to remind him not to get carried away," added Cana.

"I swear when I get my claws on you," Atlas Flame threatened, "I will rip you to shreds!" He tried to claw off the human, but Natsu could maneuver himself away from his swipes. Getting restless, the fire dragon slammed his head again into a random structure and drove his head across it. Still, no success in ridding the salmon-haired slayer.

Atlas Flame then plowed through several stone buildings, toppling down almost an entire district. Everyone who was in the middle of the dragon's rampage quickly vacated the path of destruction.

"You brat, how dare you lay your hands on me! THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST MEAL, INSECT!"

Atlas Flame intensified his flames to burn away the pesky mortal in a last-ditch attempt, yet Natsu kept eating his fire. Instead, it made the dragon slayer more eager to feed on the exquisite flames.

As this tug for dominance ensued, the ancient beast felt a familiar sensation he had not thought of for a long time. It made him recall a memory of someone he respected, someone he swore allegiance to.

"This feeling…it's so strange," The dragon stopped his rampaging. "It's not possible," he gasped."It's ridiculous, and yet, why does this human remind me so much of him?"Atlas Flame fell silent as he let the rush of memories come back to him. "…The Fire Dragon King, Igneel." He needed confirmation, so he called the human and asked, "Boy!"

"Huh?"

"You have some connection to Igneel, do you not?"

Surprised, Natsu threw his own question. "Hold on! Do you seriously know Igneel!?"

"He is my king and my friend!"

"NO WAY!" Natsu exclaimed ecstatically. "I know him pretty well too! He's actually my dad!"

"Say what?"

"Mr. Doranbolt! I've been expecting you," an anthropomorphic frog greeted.

The scarred Rune Knight officer nodded and asked, "You told nobody about this, have you?"

"I haven't, sir."

The two individuals were currently in a maximum-security detention facility. Their purpose? To visit a specific inmate with a prison designation of 100977. The frogman was unaware of what Doranbolt had in mind, but the man who requested the visit pressed for time.

"100977 is this way?" asked Doranbolt as he and the humanoid amphibian made their way to the cell.

"Yes, sir," answered the frogman. However, he said, "…But we really don't have the proper authorization to be here."

"This is a dire situation," was all Doranbolt said. "We don't have time for all the red tape. I'll take full responsibility."

"But sir," the anthropomorphic frog put his hand on the official's shoulder. This made Doranbolt halt his walking. "There are certain rules that need to be…."

Doranbalt replied with a punch to the gut, causing the humanoid official to lurch over before losing consciousness.

"I'm sorry, but time is of the essence."

The Rune Knight found himself in cell number 100977. Inside, hidden in the shadows, was a person he thought he'd never see again.

"I really hope we're not making a mistake here," he thought. Doranbolt's eyes stared straight into the inmate's with a stern expression. He had no love for this person and all the atrocities he committed, but desperate times call for desperate measures. "Attention, inmate number 100977," he commanded.

The prisoner's face couldn't be seen except for an ominous smile and a foreboding glint in his eyes. "So, it is you," the inmate said. "I had a feeling you were coming for me."

A/N: Regarding Yuzu regenerating a new arm, I took into consideration that she and Karin carry potential as Ichigo and Kazui. My idea here was that since they're both hybrids, they'd at least have some abilities from both their parents and a few hollow powers there. I only chose the most logical ones for them since most of the hollow abilities went to Ichigo. It's kind of like genetics. Some traits are expressed while others become dominant. For now, Karin will be able to use Hierro while Yuzu will have Instant Regeneration.

Again, leave a comment if you have some ideas to improve the story or you want to express your opinion. Let's just keep it professional, though.

Until then, see you soon.